Restriction Over Hormone Therapy for Menopausal Women: Good or Bad?

Many women go through the stages of menopause with little or no problem. For some others however; the symptoms can become troublesome or even debilitating. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been found to be the most effective treatment for women who experience moderate to severe discomfort for the symptoms of menopause. But not all women are good candidates for this type of treatment. The question then arises, is restriction of HRT a good thing or a bad thing?

Benefits of hormone replacement therapy during menopause
HRT helps to restore the body’s hormonal balances through the use of synthetically created estrogen. This can help to lessen hot flashes, night sweats, dry skin, and sexual dysfunction due to dryness in the vaginal area, mood swings, depression, and insomnia and weight gain. There are many great benefits associated with HRT and this is why it is one of the most popular and highly recommended treatments for menopause symptoms.

Drawbacks to hormone replacement therapy
The down side of HRT is that it does increase the risk of side effects and long term health complications in women. These can include, but are not limited to, the development of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer. Certain women are at a higher risk for these and physicians may exclude them based on certain health factors.

Women who are screened out of eligibility for HRT
Women who have had a health history of certain types of diseases are at a much higher risk for developing serious health conditions due to hormone replacement therapy use. Those who have had, or currently have cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or blood clots are not good candidates for HRT. In addition to this, women who have a family health history of any of these conditions are also believed to be at a higher risk because of genetic factors. It is more difficult for these women to get a physician to prescribe hormone replacement therapy.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
There are pros and cons to this situation. While many women are denied a form of therapy that can bring them relief from their current discomfort, in the long run, they may be glad that they were denied. It is a good thing that physicians are mindful of future complications. The only con associated with this scenario is that HRT is taken off of the table as a treatment option.

The good news
The good news is that there are alternative treatments available to help alleviate the symptoms of menopause. Women who are not candidates for HRT can find relief through natural hormone replacement supplements. These are believed to carry few if any side effects and little or no long term health risks.

Alternative treatments for symptoms of menopause
There are several types of plants found in nature, that contain compounds that work in the same way that estrogen does in the body. These substances are known as phytoestrogens and isoflavones. Extracts of these compounds are derived from the plants, concentrated, and blended with other similar herbs to create menopause supplements. Although these generally deliver a much milder dose than traditional HRT, they have been shown to be effective in relieving most of all of the symptoms of menopause.

Foods that contain phytoestrogens and isoflavones
Women may also supplement their diets with foods that contain hormone replacement properties. These include soy beans and soy products, wild yam, flaxseed, black cohosh, chaste berry, dong quai and a host of nuts and cereals. Some women find just enough relief by including these foods into their regular meals and snacks.

Conclusion
It is true that hormone replacement therapy has been an effective and standard form of treatment for the symptoms of menopause for many years. Although this is the case, for some women, the risks far outweigh the benefits, so physicians may restrict their access to HRT. While this can be a disappointment, there are alternative treatments available that carry fewer side effects and potential health risks. By using natural foods and supplements, many women have found the relief that they need to help manage and control the symptoms of menopause without HRT. In weighing the long term risks over short term benefits to HRT, the fact that there is somebody monitoring the dispensing of potentially harmful substances to at risk women, is a very good thing.